Pa. man charged with burning girlfriend's son, 7

SAXONBURG (AP) — A 7-year-old boy was set on fire and shot with an air gun then left to suffer by his mother’s boyfriend, who recorded the alleged attack, according to police in western Pennsylvania.

Edward B. Myers faces felony assault and other charges related to the May 25 attack on his girlfriend’s son.

Police said Myers threw nail polish on the boy then did nothing to help him after he was set on fire, either by Myers himself or other boys at the home in Saxonburg, about 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

According to the criminal complaint, the boy also alleged Myers, 35, threw something from the stove that “felt like sand” into his eyes, causing them to burn.

The boy’s mother, who wasn’t home at the time, took him to a hospital where he was treated for third-degree burns on his face and chest. Police said he also had welts on his forehead.

“I’ve seen a lot of horrible crimes against children during my career, but this one ranks among the worst of them,” Saxonburg Police Chief Joe Beachem told the Butler Eagle. Beachem said Myers’ 15-year-old son is also facing juvenile charges.

Myers’ attorney, Gerald Lee Cassady, declined to comment on the case.

The boy’s family issued a statement thanking people for their thoughts and prayers and for the boy’s “ongoing recovery.”

Myers is being held at the local jail, unable to make $250,000 cash bond. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Tuesday but delayed until July 30 after Cassady requested an extension of time.